Calculating machine



March 4,1941. 6. c. CHASE CALCULATING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 24, 1937 INVENTOR Q I LQ -I'TORNEY March 4, 1941. C CHASE 2,233,912

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Nov. 24, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR March 4, 1941- G. c. CHASE cncumwme manna:

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 24, 1957 March 4, 1941. s. c. CHASE CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Nov. 24, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR George q chase.

4/ bag March 4, 1941. c CHASE 2,233,912

' CALCULATING mean":

Filed Nov. 24, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR G g g -Cha5e atenteci ti, 1941 PATENT OFFICE CALCULATING MACHINE George 0. Chase, South Oran Monroe Calculatin Application November 24 g Machine Com N. J a corporation of Delaware ge, N. J., assignor to pany, Orange,

.1937, Serial No. 176,156

In Sweden November 25, 1936 8 Claims.

The invention relates to calculating machines and more particularly to an improvement upon the digit entering mechanism disclosed inapplicants co-pending application Serial No.

51,810, filed November 27, 1935 (Patent No.

As in one form of said earlier disclosed invention, the digits are here registered on the numeral wheels of the machine according to the In order to reduce the number of different adjustments necessary to insure the registration of the several digits, the differential actuators for 30 the numeral wheels consist of a series of orbital gear differential units, the input gears of each differential being designed to transmit different values, which are transmitted singly to the numeral wheels or are combined in the differential to represent the sum or the difierence between the input gear values. Thus, the output gear of the differential is given varied angular movement in accordance with the above table, resulting from the setting of a smaller number of digit values and part digit values, as will be seen hereinafter.

The present disclosure corresponds in part to that of a Swedish patent numbered 92,679, issued upon an application filed November 25, 1936; and the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention:

Fig. 1 is a section taken through the keyboard and register carriage of a calculating machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail view, of parts shown in Fig. 1, in position assumed during operation of the machine.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail axial section through a differential actuator unit, the lateral dimensions being of larger scale than the longitudinal dimensions.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail left side elevation of the sun gear element of the differential.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary right side elevation of the machine, with casing removed.

Fig. 6 is a left side elevation of the machine, with casing removed.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of parts shown in Fig. 6, 0 in position assumed during operation of the machine.

Fig. 8 is a detail section through the keyboard, showing three columns of digit keys.

Figs. 9 to 13 are detail right side elevations of 15 the five slides associated with a column of digit keys.

The digit entering mechanism provides means whereby amounts set up in the digit keys l8 (Fig. 1) may be registered on the numeral wheels 413. This mechanism is designed to provide a constantly interlocked, continuous drive, and the numeral wheels are therefore preferably provided with tens transfer mechanism of the crawl type, illustrated in U. S. Patent No. 2,089,682, issued to the present applicant on August 10, 1937. This transfer mechanism, however, is not essential to the invention, since other forms might be employed.

Related to each column of digit keys I8 is an orbital gear differential actuator unit,.shown as a simple planetary train of two input legs and one output leg.

The sun gear I96 (Figs. 3 and 4) of this differential is driven through a single train of pendant gears I91, adapted to be meshed with one of two oppositely rotated pinion wire gears I98, I99 (Figs. 1 and 2) this sun gear meshing with planet pinions 200, pivotally mounted on the face of an output gear 2|] I The planet pinions 200 also mesh with an annular or internal toothed gear 202, said annular gear being driven through either of two trains of pendant gears 203, 204, having different gear ratios and each adapted to be meshed with either of the two oppositely rotated pinion wires I 98, I99.

As shown, the pinion wire gears I 98, I 99 are each formed with twelve teeth, and the upper gear of the pendant train I91 meshes with a sixteen tooth gear 205, fast upon the hub of the sun gear I96. The upper gears of the trains 203, 204 mesh with the teeth of a compound gear 206, provided with twelve and twenty-four teeth respectively, said compound gear being fast with the annular gear 202. The sun gear H8 is formed with twelve teeth, the an ii it it with thirty-six teeth and the out Elli with sixteen teeth.

According to these ratios, ome -third rotation oi" a pinion wire I98 or I99, transmitted through the train I91 and the sun gear, will effect a one tooth movement of the output gear 2IJI, which is intended to be equivalent to a single step of movement of the numeral wheel of the machine. Likewise, one-third rotation of a pinion wire, transmitted through the pendant train 203 and the annular gear will effect a four tooth movement of output gear 2III and a four step movement of the numeral wheel, and one-third rotation of a pinion wire, transmitted through pendant train 294 and the annular gear will effect a two tooth movement of the output gear.

The gear trains I91, 203 and 294 may be engaged singly or in groups with the pinion wires. the effective values of the trains being aggregated or the difference obtained by the differential actuator gearing.

Thus the digits 1 to 9 are registered by the following plus and minus registering actions of the sun gear and the annular gear, singly or in combination.

t gear The value +10 is registered as +1 in the diferential unit of next higher order, through the train I91 thereof, unless -1 is called for in the setting of the higher order column, in which case the +1 and, -1 cancel each each other, as will hereinafter appear, train I91 standing in neutral position, out of engagement with the pinion wire gears I98 and I99, and being locked against rotation.

It will be noted that 1 (as distinguished from 10) is always registered subtractively, so that the setting of this single train will effect all necessary single step registrations, whether of -l or of +10 from the next lower column.

It may be remarked that the values plus or minus 1, plus or minus 2, plus or minus 4, form the only combination of three digits capable of registering all of the digits 1 to 9 by the short cut system set forth in the preamble of this speciiication and employing a three-legged differential selector gearing. Further, the advantages of the invention are not confined to mechanisms operating according to the decimal system. Since one leg of the differential represents the unit 1 and the other input leg consists of trains of gearing having gear ratios representing contiguous even number digits, it is obvious that one such train of gearing gives a capacity for registration in slxths; two trains providing for decimal registration, etc. Obviously, the extension of the even number series by providing additional gear trains in driving connection with the annular gear 292 will extend the capacity of the differential actuator, so that fourteenths, eighteenths, etc. may be registered, each additional train giving four additional units capacity.

By reversing the directions of rotation of the pinion wires, the arithmetical signs of the digit tractlcns; that to b .l'i tr 1' g cycles of the Irlachihe. The pinion Wire gears I98 and I99 are therefore driven cyclically (the cycle corresponding to a third rotation of these gears); being started and stopped in full-cycle position, relative to the registering action.

The pinion wire gears I98 and I99 are connected by gears 35 and 36, mounted upon their spindles (Fig. 5) and pinion wire gear I99 is provided with a drive gear 3'! (Fig. 6), mounted upon its opposite or left hand spindle. Gear 31 is driven through pinion 38, elliptic gears 39 and 40 and a train of spur gears 4|, preferably from electric motor I00 (Fig. 1). A differential gear clutching and reversing transmission mechanism is interposed between motor I00 and gear train 4I, this mechanism being designated by the numeral I05, and being more particularly illustrated in Patent No. 1,964,211, issued to Austin A. Overbury on June 26, 1934. The clutch is effected by a compound clutch lever III, movable in either direction from neutral position to engage either of its opposite Jaws I I3, I I4 with stop lugs adapted to engage different members of the differential gear train, engagement of jaw H3 resulting in subtractive rotation of the output gear I04, and engagement of the jaw I I4 effecting additive rotation of said gear. Output gear I94 meshes with one of the gears of the train II, and thereby transmits additive or subtractive movement to the pinion wire gears I98, I99. Clutch lever I I I is controlled through a. setting lever I28 (Fig. 1), mounted on a rock shaft I25 which extends to the right hand side of the machine. A crank arm I28 (Fig. 5) is mounted on the right hand end of shaft I25, and is connected by links I23 with the stems of two keys or bars I20, I22, controlling plus and minus operation of the clutch, respectively.

The pendant trains I91, 203 and 284 are mounted upon plates 42, 43 and 44 respectively, as seen in Figs. 1-3, these plates being mounted for pivotal movement about the shaft 45 which supports the differential actuator units (parts I96, 283- 202). Plates 4244 are rocked to bring the re spective gear trains into mesh with the pinion wire gears I98 or I99 by means of slides controlled by the digit keys I8.

For each bank of digit keys, four setting slides are provided (Figs. 1 and 8-13); a slide 48 having a rack and pinion connection 41 with plate 42 and movable toward the front of the machine to engage pendant train I 9'! with pinion wire gear I98, to effect registration of 1; a slide 48, having pin and slot connection 49 with plate 43 and movable forwardly or rearwardly to engage train 203 with gear I98 or I99 to register :4; a slide 50, having pin and slot connection 5| with plate 44 and movable forwardly or rearwardly to engage train 284 with gear I98 or I99 to register :2, and a slide 52, having rack connection with the pinion 41 in the next higher order column, and movable toward the rear of the machine to rock plate 42 and engage train I91 with pinion wire I99, to register +10.

The initial forward or rearward setting of these slides is effected by the keys I8, the setting being completed, upon operation of the machine, by the action of a universal ball 53, engaging cam faces 54 of the plates 42-44.

The bottoms of the stems the digit keys 58 are beveled, and are designated to engage cam projections or setting cam faces of the slides, to effect the preliminary setting movement thereof. The arrangement of these cam projections to give the correct setting for the different digits is illustrated in Figs. 9, 10, 12, 13, wherein it will be noted that the cam slopes of the projections 55 are laid out upon the same angle, both for the one direction and for the two direction slides.

The key stems engage the cam faces of the slides 46 and 52 during the entire key stroke, but the cam faces of the slides 48 and 50, which must be moved alternatively in one or the other direction upon depression of the same keys, are so disposed that if the slides lie in neutral position, depression of one ofthe related keys will bring the key stem into contact with the cam projection 55 when the key has been depressed about two-thirds of its stroke. The greater movement of the slides 46 and 52 and the lesser movement of the slides 48 and 50, under the influence of the keys I8 is equalized by the location of the connecting elements 41, 49 and 5| at different distances from the shaft 45.

The cam projections 55 of the slides 46 are extended at 56 toward the adjacent keys l8, in order to provide an interlock to prevent full depression of two keys in a single column, the slides 48 and 50 being provided with looking projections 51 for the same purpose. The projections 51 are of particular importance, since they prevent simultaneous engagement of the pendant trains 203 and 204 with the pinion wire gears, the trains providing drives of differentgear ratio for the same output gear. It will be noted that different slides must be relied upon to look different keys under the various conditions. For instance with the 9 key depressed, the 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 keys are locked by slide 46; the 1 and 7 keys are locked by slide 50 and the 3 and 5 keys are locked by slide 48. It will further be noted that the cam faces 55 of the slides 48 and 50 are extended downward, beyond the limit of the key stroke, so that the slides are not held against further movement by the opposite walls of the V-notches illustrated in Figs. 10 and 12.

The lower ends of the locking slots between the projections 51 have parallel walls I9, and in order that the depression of a key shall cause no cramping, due to the movement of a slide 48 or 50 against a previously depressed key, the walls of these locking slots are extended upwardly to form auxiliary cam faces l6. Thus, the depressed 7 key, for instance, engages the walls I9 of slide 48, and holds slide 50 in forward position. Now, depression of the 6 key will first engage the auxiliary cam l6 of slide 50 and cam the 7 key, through the setting cam, sufficiently to lift it out of register with the walls IQ of slide 48. Thereafter the 6 key will engage the setting cam 55 of slide 48, which is now free to move.

The keys are latched in depressed position by means of a slide l1 (Fig. 11) in the manner well known in flexible keyboard arrangements, the key stems effecting the release of any previously depressed keys when they have travelled approximately one-third I of their stroke. The keys may be released in all columns by means of a bail 58 (Fig. 1) engaging lugs 59 of the latching slides, ball 58 being operable by rock shaft 60 and clear key 6| (Fig. 5).

The slides 46, 52 and I! are normally held retracted by means ofsprings 62, while the slides 4), which serves to lock the sun gear and its associated parts and to keep the gearing in time. Pawl 64 is provided with opposed cam faces 6.! adapted to be engaged by an extension 68 of the plate 42, so that as said plate is rocked in either direction by bail 5 pawl 64 will be lifted from engagement with the disk 66, and the sun gear will be free to rotate.

Pawl is adapted to engage between the teeth of one of the gears 206 which drive the ring gear 202, this said pawl being provided with opposed cam faces 69 adapted to be contacted by an extension 10 or II of the plates 43, 44, when either plate is rocked clockwise or counter-clockwise, disengaging the pawl from the teeth of gear 206 and freeing the ring gear for rotation.

It will thus be seen that when the machine is operated, rocking of bail 53 will throw the pendant trains I91, 203-204 into full mesh with pinion wire gears I98, I99, in accordance with the partial setting of the slides 46, 48, 50 and 52, and the sun gear or the ring gear or both will be simultaneously released. At this time, also, it is desired to adjust the drive of the register wheels 413 from aligned into crawl tens transfer position, as set forth in Patent No. 2,039,682, hereinb'efore referred to.

For this purpose, bail 53 is provided with a linkage 490, operable to lift a bail 489, whichis mounted in the register carriage 2 of the machine, bail 489 engaging a series of frames 483 pivoted at 48! and having each mounted thereon an intermediate gear 482, related to a. numeral wheel 413 Each frame 483, has an extension acting as a follower or feeler for a cam 485, secured to the numeral wheel of next adjacent lower order. Lifting of bail 489, through bail 53, will lift all of the plates 483 away from the cams 485 and will hold them immovable in operating position. During the operation of the machine, partial or fractional transfer movement will be transmitted from wheel to wheel, in well known manner, and at the end of the operation, dropping of bail 489 will allow the plates 483 to move, under the influence of suitable springs, into contact with the cams 485, this movement effecting planetary movement of the intermediate gears 482 and thereby transmitting movement to the numeral wheel sufficient to compensate for the partial tens transfer displacement of the wheel.

It is desirable that the parts adjusted as above described by movement of the ball 53, shall be held in adjusted position until the machine is brought to rest, so that when multiple cycle operations are performed unnecessary adjustment of the parts may be avoided. This is accomplished as follows:

A shaft I2 (Fig. 6) is driven one complete rotation during each operative cycle of the machine by means of an elliptic gear I3 meshing with the elliptic gear 40, shaft I2 being provided with a inc.

cycle of the o V either by mechimiam operated up the plus or minus bar, I20, i122, n of one of the numeral wheels "3, in well knwn manner.

Tripping of trigger 3| will release a normally restrained spring pawl 25, pivotally mounted upon a stop arm 24, said arm being pivoted to the framing at point 23. Pawl 25 being released will drop into the path of movement of a lug of rock lever 22, thereby coupling arm 24 to said rock lever. Continued clockwise movement of lever 22 beyond full cycle position of the parts as viewed in Fig. 6, will rock the arm 24 forwardly, against the tension of a spring 28, until a lug of said arm encounters a fixed step 29, whereby the continued rotation of the machine in the original direction will be arrested. At the same time an extension l44 of arm 24 will rise, bringing one of two opposed cam portions of said extension into contact with a centralizing pin I45 secured upon the clutch lever I i l, thereby releasing the clutch. The parts, having now overrun full cycle position, will be brought back into such position by an action of spring 28, in which position they may be held by a. lock bar 14.

The ball 53 is controlled from shaft 12 by means of two disks 15, 16 having a pin and slot connection 11 with each other and being each provided with a cam notch I8, these two notches registering normally with each other and being engaged by roller 19, fixed upon a spring follower arm 80. Arm 80 is secured to the shaft iii to which bail 53 is rigidly connected. Disk 18 is fast upon shaft 12, while disk 15 is loosely mounted thereon and is provided with a friction spring 82. Upon rotation of the parts in either direction, friction spring 82 will cause disk 15 to lag relatively to disk 16, and the two notches 18 will lie out of line with each other, so that roller 19 will in effect be held in operated position upon the periphery of an unbroken disk, as seen in Fig. 7 of the drawings. This will hold ball 53 and the parts operated thereby in adjusted position so long as the machine continues to operate. When the operation is concluded, and the parts are brought back from overrun to full cycle position, disk 15 will again lag, until the two notches 1B are brought into register with each other, which will occur as the parts come to full cycle position, whereupon roller 19 will drop and bail 53 will be retracted.

The elliptic gears 39, 40 and 13 have an important function in connection with the engagement and disengagement of the gear locking pawls 64 and 65, the swinging of the pendant trains I91, 2.13 and 204 into and out of mesh with the pinion wire gears I98 and I99, and the action of the stopping arm 24 and lock bar 14. An inspection of Fig. 6 will show that the actuator and numeral wheel drive will be slowest as the parts approach and leave full cycle position, whereas the parts controlled by ball 53 and the stopping mechanism will be most rapidly operated as the parts approach and leave full cycle position.

Considering therefore the locking bails 64 and 65, these will be rapidly disengaged and reengaged at the start and finish of an operation, while the gears with which they cooperate will be moving very slowly. Similarly, the pendant trains will be rapidly moved from partial to full engagement with the pinion wire gears I98 and I while said gears are rotating slowly. Also ,wlli allow movement of the gearing, because oi the more rapid movement bi arm 22 about the dead center of the linkage.

The known register whereon a multiplier or quotient value will be displayed is not directly concerned with the present invention, and has not been illustrated herein. Any register provided with reversible numeral wheels and a tens transfer mechanism, as shown for instance in U. 8. Patent No. 1,504,741, issued on August 12, 1934, to the present applicant, will serve the purpose.

I claim:

1. In a calculating machine having drive mechanism including gears; the combination with digit entering means including a series of orbital gear differential units, two plates adapted for pivotal movement about the axis of each differential, trains of gears of diilerent gear ratio including gears mounted upon the two plates and gears meshing therewith and having fixed connection with a single input leg of the related differential unit, and means for adjusting one or the other of said plates to mesh the related gear trains with gears of the drive mechanism, of a spring impelled pawl normally in locking engagement with a gear connected with said single input leg, and lugs upon each of said two plates, either lug operabliin the meshing adjustment of the plate to lift t e pawl out of locking engagement with its gear.

2. In a calculating machine having drive mech anism including gears; the combination with digit entering means including a series of orbital gear differential units, plates adapted for pivotal movement about the axis of each differential, trains including gears mounted upon the plates and gears meshing therewith and having fixed connection with the input leg gears of. each differential unit, series of digit keys, means adjustable by the keys to move selected plates out of their normal position of rest, and a universal member operable by the drive mechanism to adjust any plate standing out of normal position to mesh the related gear train with a gear of the drive mechanism, of spring impelled pawls normally in looking engagement with gears con nected with the input legs of the differential units, said plates having lost motion connec ion with said pawls operable to lift said paw out of locking engagement with their gears by power transmitted through said universal member.

3. In a calculating machine having d ive mechanism including gears and means for arresting the drive; digit entering means including variably driven gear units, plates adapted for pivotal movement about the axis of each gear unit, trains including gears mounted upon the plates and gears meshing therewith and having fixed connection with the gears of the related units, series of digit keys, means adjustable by th keys to move selected plates out of their normal posi tion of rest, a spring retracted universal member operable to adjust any plate standing out of normal position to mesh the related gear train with a gear of the drive mechanism, means operable by the drive mechanism to operate the universal member, means adjustable to hold said operating means in active position, and means cooperating with the drive arresting means to retract the holding means.

4. In a calculating machine having numeral wheels and diiierential actuators therefor having diiferentially settable driven elements, and cyclic drive means for said actuators; means for locating driven elements of said actuators in given set positions, and drive mechanism for said actuators and said locating means including variable ratio gearing operable to drive the actuators at a diminished speed and simultaneously to drive the locating means at an augmented speed as the drive means moves through a zone adjacent to full cycle position.

5.- In a calcuating machine, cyclically driven gears, digit entering means including a series of differential units each comprising gears selectively adjustable into mesh with said cyclic gears, means for so adjusting the gears of the differential units including a universal member and an operating device therefor, and drive mechanism for said cyclic gears and said operating device including variable ratio gearing operable to drive the cyclic gears at a diminished speed I and simultaneously to drive the operating device at an augmented speed as the cyclic gears move through a zone adjacent to full cycle position.

6. In a calculating machine, cyclically driven gears, digit entering means including a series of orbital gear difierential units each including a plurality of input legs adapted for driving engagement with the cyclically driven gears, spring impelled pawls normally in locking engagement with a gear connected with each input leg, means for selectively releasing one or more of said pawls including a universal member and an operating device therefor, and drive mechanism for simultaneously operating said cyclic gears and said ing operable to drive the cyclic gears at a diminished speed and simultaneously to drive the operating device at an augmented speed as the cyclic gears move through a zone adjacent to full cycle position.

7. In a. calculating machine having numeral 5 wheels and drive mechanism including oppositely rotated gears of the same driving gear ratio; digit entering means comprising a series of differential units each related to a numeral wheel and including orbital gearing and related gear 10 trains, each orbital gear unit having an input leg com-prising a plurality of alternatively controlling independent gear trains of consecutive even digit gear ratios and a second input leg comprising a gear train of a comparative gear prising a series of diiferential units each related to a numera1 wheel and including orbital gearing and related gear trains, each orbital gear uni-t having an input leg comprising two alternatively controlling independent gear trains of a comparative gear ratio of 2, 4 and a second input leg com-prising a gear train of a comparative gear ratio of l, and means for meshing gear trains of one of more of said input legs with the drive mechanism through the forwardly or alternatively through the reversely rotated member, selectively, to register any one of the digits 1 to 4 positively or any one of the digits 5 to 9 complementally.

GEORGE C. CHASE. 

